John Stamos on Making Out with The New Normal's Ellen Barkin: It Was the Fastest Chemistry

Tuesday

Jan 22, 2013 at 6:30 AMJan 22, 2013 at 7:09 PM

TV Guide

Prepare to see Uncle Jesse like you've never seen him before. On Tuesday's The New Normal, typical ladies' man John Stamos begins his guest arc as Brice, a new co-worker of Jane's (Ellen Barkin) with an indeterminate sexuality. Gay, straight, or something in between - you'll have to wait until the episode airs to find out. But one thing we will reveal is that, no matter Brice's sexuality, Stamos and Barkin do get a little hot 'n heavy!Celebs who are out and proudWhile filming the episode, Stamos noted how Brice and Jane were "kind of cat- and mousing each other" and decided to take things to the next level. "I said to Ryan [Murphy] ... 'What if I just grab in the back of her hair and just make out?'" Stamos told reporters during a conference call.Hoping to elicit a reaction from Barkin, the former Full House star decided to forego the typical stage kiss and opted for full tongue action instead. "I mean, I think, like, what's the farthest thing you can touch in the back of a throat - the uvula or whatever it was. I know I hit it and she didn't even move," he recalled.And though he didn't get the shocked response he had hoped for, Stamos had nothing but praise for the legendary actress. "[It was] the fastest chemistry I've had with someone in a long time on television."Photos: Hot winter TV eye candyBut Barkin wasn't the only draw for Stamos to take on The New Normal. The actor, who has also appeared on Glee, has invested his full trust in Murphy. After regrettably turning down a few roles from the showrunner in the past, including Nip/Tuck and a show "like Charlie's Angels, but they were hookers," Stamos has learned that when Murphy calls with a role, you accept.Check out Full House and other TV shows we want to reunite"[Murphy's] way ahead of me," Stamos said. "He knows how to push the envelope. He knows how to make people think." And in doing The New Normal, Stamos was more than happy to help Murphy push the envelope and challenge traditional norms. "The rules don't apply anymore," Stamos said when discussing the ability to assume a person's sexuality. "And I think that's what we were trying to get at. So I had to come on and play this guy that you didn't know what he was. And I've never done that ... I didn't want to play into any of the stereotypes of, you know, of whatever stereotypical things there are that people think of gay men and women."While we won't reveal whether Stamos' character is gay or not, we will share one insider secret with you: the trick to the actor's ageless beauty."I live in a box," Stamos joked, "like Michael [Jackson]."Though Stamos doesn't actually sleep in a box pumped full of oxygen, he did say the key rests in, well, rest! "I mean, if there's any secret, I sleep a lot," Stamos said. "I get a lot of sleep and, you know, rejuvenation. So I try to go to bed early."So there you have it. If you want to look as timeless as Stamos, start hitting the hay more often!The New Normal airs Tuesdays at 9:30/8:30c on NBC.

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